The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Local
    • Palmdale
    • Lancaster
    • Los Angeles County
    • Littlerock
    • Lake Los Angeles
    • Rosamond
    • Edwards AFB
    • Acton
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Advertise
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Show Search

Supervisors said LA County deserves bigger share of student mental health funds

by City News Service • January 22, 2020

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to send letters to Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislators to push for additional mental health care funding for students.

The supervisors had hoped Los Angeles County would receive a bigger share of a $75 million grant available through the Mental Health Student Services Act, according to a motion by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger. However, large counties are limited to $6 million in funding over four years.

That money would cover partnerships with schools to create campus-based mental health services with the goal of reaching and treating students before their mental health issues become debilitating.

“When you do the math, you realize L.A. County is only being offered one dollar per student per year to meet the mental health needs of a large and diverse student body with everything from campus counselors to suicide prevention training for teachers,” Hahn said.

“That is absolutely not enough. We have more than three times the students than the next largest county in California, and our funding allocation needs to reflect that difference.”

Dr. Jonathan Sherin, who heads the county’s Department of Mental Health, said the programs require work to design, develop, implement and analyze outcomes. Unless the county gets more resources, the cost of administration will outweigh the benefit of the grant.

“These associated departmental burdens are likely to outweigh the added value brought about by the resource itself because they pull staff capacity that is desperately needed for other projects,” Sherin said.

The department already spends roughly $100 million in the county’s 80 school districts, he said.

Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Debra Duardo said students deserve more from the state.

“We’re making progress with our Mental Health Department partners to provide needed resources, but it is truly disappointing to see a cap of $6 million from the state for our 80 districts serving 1.5 million youth — 70% of whom are socioeconomically disadvantaged,” Duardo said. “We will be fighting for our students’ fair share of this critical funding.”

–

Filed Under: Health, Home, Los Angeles County, Politics

Recent Comments

  • Alby on New report finds coronavirus reduced life expectancy for Blacks and Latinos: “Too spent to mind.” Jan 18, 23:18
  • Alby on New report finds coronavirus reduced life expectancy for Blacks and Latinos: “Wow you sound like your ready to meet in a back alley way with your blmgbtq friends with your fists…” Jan 18, 23:14
  • Piehole on Op-ed: Kevin McCarthy and Mike Garcia must resign: “Hillary said the election was rigged when she lost. This is why the impeachment started before Trump became president. Was…” Jan 18, 22:57
  • Mike on Op-ed: Kevin McCarthy and Mike Garcia must resign: “Cool. Your vote doesn’t count so just stop voting. That will show em.” Jan 18, 21:56
  • Lol on Man struck and killed by vehicle in Lancaster: “Is Beecee mentally challenged or something?” Jan 18, 21:54

© 2021 · The Antelope Valley Times. All rights reserved. Terms of Use